A Jealous Hawke- Story Five: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: Hawke is jealous of the time they are spending together when Caitlin goes to help Doc set up a new tavern in his hometown. His world spins out of control when a distress call comes from the helicopter Cait and Doc are flying in and they disappear off of the radar and crash. With the help of Dom and Airwolf, he must find them before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Stringfellow Hawke rolled over in bed and smiled. He couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful woman in his bed. He wondered how he got so lucky. Just a few short years ago she had breezed right into Santini Air and never left. He was so thankful that she stayed. How she managed to put up with him all this time was a mystery to him. But, she never gave up on him and now here they were, together almost every night. He loved holding her while she slept. Having her there gave him peace and comfort. He knew he wanted it to be that way forever but a small part of him was still holding back, still afraid of that thing he called a curse. He let her in and he wanted to keep her there but marriage, well he wasn't ready for that just yet.

Caitlin opened her eyes to find a set of eyes staring right back at her. She smiled and reached over to pull him in for a kiss. He kissed her back and then rolled her onto her back and jumped on top of her, pinning her down. "Stringfellow Hawke," she yelled. "There's no time for that right now. I have to get out of here soon, remember?"

String looked dejected. "Oh right," he replied. "You're flying out to Doc's place today. Why is that again?"

Cait pushed him off of her and got up from the bed. "He's opening his new tavern a in a few weeks and he wants me to help with special opening night entertainment."

"Why you?" asked Hawke.

"Hawke, we've been through this. I worked my way through college in several taverns and I use to sing a lot during special events. Look, he wants someone he knows to help out. It's just something he and I talked about right after we first met. Don't worry I'll only be gone a few weeks."

Hawke sighed. "Yeah well that's a few weeks too many as far as I'm concerned. What if I come out there next week and join you?"

Caitlin turned the shower on before poking her head back into the bedroom. "You can come but it won't be any fun for you. Doc and I'll be too busy to hang out with you."

Hawke jumped out of bed and followed her into the bathroom. Caitlin had just climbed into the shower and pulled the curtain shut.

"I'm going to come anyway," he said as he pulled back the curtain and stepped in to join her. "Since you won't have time for me later, how about making a little time for me now?" he asked.

Caitlin laughed. "You're incorrigible. What am I going to do with you?"

Hawke grabbed her and pushed her against the back of the shower stall. "Oh, I can think of a few things."

"Hawke!" Caitlin squealed. "You always get your way, don't you?"

String laughed. "Yeah, but somehow I don't think you mind."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAA

Two hours later Caitlin was on her way out to Doc's place. She was excited about getting to go and do something new. Not that she was bored at Santini Air but the jobs had been slow and she wanted a different kind of excitement. Doc picked her up at the small local airport and took her back to his place where she would be staying for the next two weeks.

"I'm so happy you could come," he said. "This is something I've always wanted to do and I really appreciate your willingness to help."

Caitlin smiled. "I'm excited to help. Of course, I'm not so sure about the singing part that you mentioned. I mean, it has been years since I sang a note."

"Don't worry," he replied. "I've hired some local celebrities for most of the entertainment. It's just that this is a small town and pretty much everyone here is a friend. I promised them I'd sing one song and well, it's a duet."

"Oh boy, I sure hope I know what I got myself into," she replied. "Actually, it sounds like fun. My life has been far too serious lately and it's about time I had a little fun."

"Great," replied Doc. "Ready to go and see the new place?"

"Let's go," said Caitlin. "I can't wait!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAA

Meanwhile, back at Santini Air, Hawke was sitting quietly behind the office desk. He'd finished his work for the day but didn't feel like heading home right away.

"What's with you?" asked Dom. "You've been sulking around here all day. It can't be because of Cait. She hasn't even been gone that long. Besides, I thought you liked spending time alone."

Hawke sighed. "Yeah, I always thought I did. She seems to have changed that."

Dom grinned. "Well, whatdaya know. It's about time someone did. Come on kid, let's go. I'll buy ya a drink."


	2. Chapter 2

_I know there was no indication that Caitlin and Doc were ever singers but I gave them that talent for story purposes. _

Chapter 2

Caitlin was amazed at Doc's new tavern and bar. When they got there he had dinner prepared ahead of time for her. The two sat down at one of the new tables to eat while Caitlin marveled at all of the décor.

"Wow, this place is great," said Caitlin. "It's everything you said it would be. Congratulations, I have a feeling this place is going to be a hit."

Doc smiled. "Thanks so much for coming Caitlin. I was worried you'd change your mind when I mentioned singing."

"Yeah, well that part made me a little nervous," she replied. "Why me? I'm sure you could find some up and coming singer to sing with you."

Doc's expression turned serious. "To be honest, the song has special meaning to me. It was written by an old friend. She was killed in a car accident a few years ago," he said. "I wanted to sing it in honor of her and I didn't want just anyone singing it with me. I hope that's okay."

Caitlin smiled. "I'm honored," she replied. "I hope I can do it justice."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A

Caitlin helped Doc work on all the last minute details and they rehearsed the song throughout the week. The song was a country duet about two friends becoming lovers after beating all odds.

"I have to say Doc, I just love singing this song," Caitlin said after the first run through of the day. "It kind of reminds me a lot of Hawke and me."

"Yeah, I can see that," replied Doc. "I'm glad you like it. You're doing a phenomenal job. Want to run through it one more time?"

Caitlin picked the microphone back up and got back up on the small stage. "Sure, then I need to get going. Hawke should be here soon and I told him I'd go and pick him up from the airport. I don't know why he couldn't wait to come opening night but he insisted on being here this week."

Doc laughed. "That's okay, I'm sure I can find something for him to do."

Doc signaled for the band to play again. Once the music started, the two began to sing.

**_You rocked my world_**

**_You touched my soul_**

**_My heart is always with you_**

**_I'll never let you go…_**

When they finished singing, Doc reached over and kissed Caitlin before giving her a hug.

"That was perfect,' he said. "I can't imagine it getting any better and we still have a whole week until the opening."

Caitlin blushed, "Thanks. This has been so much fun. I didn't realize how much I missed singing. Maybe I'll go back to doing more of it."

Afterwards, Caitlin headed out to pick up Hawke from the local airport. She had planned to borrow Doc's car. As soon as she walked out of the tavern she saw Hawke standing against the car.

Caitlin ran over to him and gave him a hug. "Hawke, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I was just leaving to pick you up. How in the world did you get here?"

"A friend of Doc's gave me a ride," he replied. "He was heading out this way anyway so it just made it more convenient."

"That's great," she said. "I'm so happy you're here. I can't wait for you to see the place and hear the song we've been working on. I'm actually going to sing with Doc on opening night."

Caitlin tried to kiss Hawke but he pulled away from her before she could. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I heard the song," he replied. "I also saw the kiss."

"You did?" Caitlin was surprised. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Hawke's tone became slightly angry, "I don't know Cait. What do you think I should have done after walking in on another guy singing a love song with my girl and then kissing her?"

Caitlin was almost speechless. "Hawke, that was just a friendship type of kiss, you know, how we use to kiss before we got together. It's not the type of kiss that means anything.

"Maybe it meant something to me," he replied.

Caitlin started laughing and then stopped when she saw the serious look in his eyes. "Wait, are you serious? Wow, I can't believe it. Stringfellow Hawke is jealous. Now I think I've seen it all."

String became agitated but Caitlin was determined to make her point. She reached over and gave him a peck on the lips. "Now, that's a friendship kiss, just like Doc and I shared," she said. The she put her arms around him and pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss. Although he was angry, he couldn't help but to give into her this time. When they separated, she stared him directly in the eyes. "And that's the kind of kiss that only you will get from me. See the difference?" she asked.

Before he could respond, she rattled on, "Now, if you think that first kind of kiss is better, well, we can just do that one all the time and….."

Hawke stopped her mid sentence by grabbing her and pulling her in for another passionate kiss. He held her tightly, not wanting to let go.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to overreact."

Caitlin smiled. "Look Hawke, I'm really am flattered. I don't think I've ever had anyone jealous over me before but Doc's a great guy and a good friend to both of us. You have to know that he'd never intrude on our relationship."

Hawke sighed. "I know. You're right."

"Then can we move on from this now? Doc has been really excited about showing you the place and I don't want you to do anything to put a damper on this for him," she replied.

String smiled, "Okay, okay. I promise I'll behave."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Caitlin and Doc enjoyed showing Hawke around the new tavern. Caitlin gushed over all the entertainment and food choices that Doc had put in place. Hawke didn't know why it annoyed him so much or why it bothered him that Doc and Caitlin enjoyed spending time together. Caitlin was his and he trusted her. It surprised even him that he could feel jealous.

After the tour, Doc told the couple that they would all be going to dinner party at a good friend's house. It was a celebration dinner in honor of the opening. The small party consisted of a group of fifteen of Doc's closest friends. The conversation all night focused on the opening and Hawke found he was feeling left out. Caitlin, on the other hand, seemed to fit right in. Doc's friends loved her.

At the end of the night, the three headed back to Doc's place. Caitlin was disappointed when Hawke opted to sleep on the couch instead of joining her in Doc's guest room. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you Cait," he replied. "I just feel its best I sleep out here tonight."

Instead of arguing with him, Caitlin shut her door and went to bed. "What's going on with you Hawke?" she asked herself. "This is just not like you at all."

The next morning, Caitlin awoke to find Doc making breakfast in the kitchen and Hawke gone.

"Where's Hawke?" she asked Doc. "Have you seen him this morning?"

"No, he was already gone when I got up," replied Doc. "Is everything okay with you two?"

Caitlin sighed. "I don't know. He's been acting strange ever since he got here. I've never seen him like this."

Doc walked over and gave Caitlin a hug. "Don't worry," he said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll get over it and things will be fine."

"Thanks Doc," she replied. "I sure hope so."

Doc went back to the stove and picked up a plate of pancakes he had warming there. "Here, eat up," he said. "Afterwards I have an errand to run. I have a friend who hurt his back recently and I need to fly up and check on him. Afterwards I have a wine glass shipment I need to go and pick up. Want to go with me?"

Caitlin agreed to go with Doc on his errands. Even though Hawke did not leave them a note as to where he was going, Caitlin insisted on leaving one for him. She was upset that he left there without saying anything but she decided to not let it interfere with the good time she was having preparing for Doc's opening night.

Doc took his helicopter up and they headed towards the small mountain region near his town. It was a beautiful sunny morning and Caitlin was enjoying the scenery. "I don't ever get tired of being in the air," she said. "I always feel bad for people who have never flown before. They have no idea what they're missing."

"I know what you mean," replied Doc. "I grew up thinking that I was afraid of heights. But, once I got up here, it was all I wanted to do. Of course, the biggest flying rush I got was when I got to fly Airwolf."

Caitlin smiled. "Yeah, I heard you did great for your first time. I had a little more difficulty my first time."

Doc laughed. "I didn't have much choice at the time. If I'd had time to think, it would have scared the hell out of me."

Before the two could continue their conversation, the helicopter was hit with a loud thud.

'What was that?" asked Caitlin. "Did we hit something?"

Doc was suddenly struggling to keep the helicopter in the air. "Yeah, I think we hit a bird. Hang on. I don't think I can keep us up much longer. We're going down."

Doc sent out distress call and worked frantically to keep them up as long as possible to find a flat area of mountain to set down.

"Were coming in a little too fast," he yelled. "Hang on."

Within a few seconds time, they crashed landed on the side of the mountain.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back at Doc's place, Hawke had returned from the long walk he had taken that morning. He had wanted to clear his head and pull himself together. He felt bad for making things hard on Caitlin. He knew she loved him but part of him worried that maybe he wasn't interesting enough for her. He wanted to tell her that, but the stubbornness inside of him refused to let her know that he could be that insecure.

Hawke had seen the helicopter take off and decided to head back to the house to see if Caitlin had gone with Doc. Finding the note, he decided to borrow Doc's car and ride into town and try to be of help at the tavern.

When he pulled up to the tavern, he got a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. There were several cars in the parking lot along with a Sheriff department's car. He got out and ran into the building. One of Doc's good friends, Wayne spotted him immediately.

"Mr. Hawke," I'm glad you're here," he said.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so," the Sheriff spoke up. "The local tower received a distress call from Doc about an hour ago. After that, his helicopter disappeared off of the radar. We think he crashed landed somewhere on the east side of the mountain."

At the word crash, Hawke felt as though the blood was draining from his head. He felt light headed and had to steady himself with a bar chair.

"What are you doing to try to find them?" he asked.

"Them? Someone was with Doc?" asked the Sheriff.

Hawke was slow to respond. "Yes, my friend Caitlin was with him. They left a note saying they were going up to check on a friend of Doc's who had a bad back."

"That must be old Mr. Gray," said Wayne. "Doc's been checking on him regularly. That would put them close to the area that he disappeared on radar."

"We've got to find them," said Hawke. "What are your resources?"

The Sheriff explained to Hawke that they had a volunteer air and ground rescue unit. They were currently doing an air search and would send in a ground crew as soon as they spotted something. The problem was that the area was pretty vast but dense with trees.

"It could take days to locate them that way," said Hawke.  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hawke," replied the Sherriff. "It's all the resources we have right now. We have an excellent ground crew. They can scale a mountain in no time. The problem is we can't send them out without a direction to go in."

"Well, I think I can help with that. My friend and I have a helicopter that we've used in the past for search and rescue," said Hawke. "I'll call him and get him out here."

"Sounds good," replied the Sherriff. "We can use all the air support we can get. We already have the ground crew on standby. If you find anything, contact us immediately."

"You'd better believe I will," replied Hawke. "Someone I love was on that helicopter with Doc. I'm not going to stop searching until I find her."

Wayne walked over to Hawke and put his hand on his arm. "Look, I want more than anything to find Doc and your friend alive. But, you need to be realistic," he said. "The chances that they landed in on that mountain and survived are pretty slim."

Hawke grew angry. "Don't give me the odds," he said. "I'm going to find them. You'll see. There's no way they are missing this grand opening."

Hawke left and went to call Dom. He dreaded the call. He didn't want Dom to tell him the same thing the others had about the odds of Doc and Caitlin making it out alive. Dom was shaken and very upset at the news but he refrained from making too many comments to Hawke on the phone. He knew he had to get to Airwolf quickly. The sooner they were up in the air searching, the quicker they could find them.

Hawke went back into the bar and sat down beside Wayne. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know you were trying to help."

Wayne sighed. "I'm sorry too. Doc's one of my best friends. This town wouldn't be the same without him. We've got to find them."

"My friend is on his way," said Hawke. "I'll feel better when I can get up in the air and look for myself."

Wayne stood up and moved the phone closer to the end of the counter for quick pick up. "Any new information is supposed to be routed here," he said. "For now, all we can do is wait for the call."

To Hawke, it seemed like an eternity before Dom and Airwolf showed up at the tavern to pick him up. Once there, they were up and searching in no time.

"Did you get the coordinates the Sheriff's department sent?" asked Hawke.

"Yep, they are programmed in. We're almost in the area now," said Dom.

"Let's start a thermal scan and record the area," replied Hawke. "It's a larger area then I had hoped but at least we have some direction."

Dom was quiet for awhile as they began a flying pattern to cover the whole section that was believed to be the area they were in when they dropped off of the radar. Finally, he spoke up.

"String, I know I said this once before and that time I was wrong, but don't get your hopes up," He said solemnly. "They went down in a pretty dense mountain area."

"I'm not giving up on her Dom," String replied. "I can't. If I do and I lose her then I was right all this time. Everyone that I love eventually dies. She's always defied the odds. I have to believe that's she's going to make it this time too."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Caitlin gradually opened her eyes. Her head felt heavy. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was or what had happened. Finally, it all came back to her. Caitlin tried to move, but forgot she had been strapped in. She struggled to sit up and look for her friend. "Doc," she asked. "Doc, are you okay? Where are you?"

Doc's helicopter had been torn in several pieces and was sitting, mangled between two large trees. The section that Caitlin was in had remained intact. Debris filled the area.

Doc had been thrown out several feet behind her. "Yeah, I'm back her, about eight feet back from you. I'm pretty sure that my leg is broken. Are you okay?"

Caitlin carefully unbuckled herself from the seat. She ached all over. "I think so," she replied. "My head hearts and I'm pretty banged up but I don't think anything's broken."

Slowly, she moved through the wreckage and made her way over to Doc's side. He had managed to prop himself up against a small tree stump. His face was scratched up and he had trickles of blood on his neck.

Startled at his appearance, Caitlin put her hand on his shoulder. "Is it just your leg?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're going to need to splint it," he replied. "I need you to find the supply box. It was behind your seat before the crash. It's a lightweight metal looking box. I use it to store emergency blankets, water and medical supplies."

"Okay, you just take it easy," she replied. "I'll find it."

It took Caitlin about fifteen minutes of searching through the debris before she was able to locate the box. She moved it over to where Doc was sitting and opened it up.

"Wow, you really do keep prepared for the worse, don't you?" she asked.

Doc tried to smile. "Yeah, well, guess I've been helping others for so long now that I figured I'd better be ready for just about anything that comes up."

"Hopefully we won't need this stuff for long," she replied. "I'm sure by now they've figured out that we crashed. If I know Hawke, Dom's on his way with Airwolf."

Caitlin pulled out two water canisters for Doc and her to drink and found the splints for Doc's leg. Following his instruction, she splinted his right leg and then cleaned up the scratches on his face.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked, concerned about her friend.

"No, it's actually not too bad," he replied. "At least it appears to be a clean break. It would have been worse had it broken skin."

Caitlin shuttered at the thought. She had been shaking as it was when she was putting on the splint. "I'm not sure I could've handled that," she replied. "One thing I knew I could never be was a doctor or a nurse. I don't handle blood too well."

"I'm not a fan of it myself," replied Doc. Guess that's why I never actually became a real doctor."

Caitlin sat down beside Doc and leaned against the tree stump. "So, seeing as we have time to kill here," she said. "Tell me. How in the world does a bush pilot become known as Doc?"

Doc laughed. "I thought you knew this story?" he asked. "But okay, I guess we have time for the longer version."

Doc spent the afternoon telling Caitlin various stories of how he became know of Doc and why he takes care of those in his small town. She was amazed at the adventures he shared with her and all the people he had helped.

After awhile, he stopped and looked over at her. "Thanks, Caitlin," he said.

"For what?" she asked. "What did I do?"

"You helped keep my mind off of my leg," he replied. "But, I have to admit I'm getting a little worried. It's getting late. I thought they'd have found us by now. It looks like we'll be spending the night here."

Caitlin tried to hide her disappointment. She had thought for sure that Hawke and Dom would have been out looking for them in Airwolf .

"I wonder if Hawke even got my note?" she asked.

Doc put his hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her and she jumped at his touch. "What is it Caitlin? Is your shoulder injured?"

Caitlin tried to play it off as nothing. "Oh, it's just a little bruise," she replied. "I'm okay, really. Don't worry about me. I'm just worried now that maybe no one is looking for us."

"I have no doubt that they're looking for us," replied Doc. "We've been gone awhile and I sent out a distress signal before we crashed. We're just in an odd area. Some of the rock formations and obviously the trees in this area might be blocking us from view in the air."

"I was worried about that too," replied Caitlin. "I just figured with Airwolf if didn't matter since they have the thermal scanners." She thought about the situation for a moment. "In case they aren't looking for us in Airwolf, I think I should go and find an open area where we can be spotted."

Caitlin got up and pulled out two of the blankets from the supply box. She put one on Doc and told him that she would take the other, along with a canister of water, with her.

"Whoa, what a second Cait," said Doc. "Give it a little more time. Don't rush off just yet. Why are you suddenly so sure they aren't looking for us in Airwolf?"

Caitlin sat back down beside Doc before answering him. She tried to fight the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I just thought they'd be here by now. Maybe Hawke doesn't even want to look for me. He's been acting so jealous. I don't even know what I did. Maybe he gave up on me."

"Come on Cait," said Doc. "You know Hawke better than anyone. Do you really think for one minute he'd give up finding you?"

Caitlin looked down at the ground. She was slow to answer but finally spoke up. "No," she said. "He wouldn't."

"Okay then," said Doc. "And, if it'll make you feel any better, I think the fact that he's acting jealous is partly my fault."

"What? How is it your fault?" she asked.

"Back, before you two got together, I decided that someone needed to light a fire under him when it came to you. So, I told him that I thought you were a beautiful woman and if he wasn't going to do anything about it, I would," replied Doc.

Caitlin blushed. "That was really sweet of you, Doc," she said. "But, I'm not going to let you take the blame for his behavior. I still think I need to go and find an area that we can be spotted more easily."

"It's getting too late," said Doc. "Stay here for now. It would be best that you head out just before dawn."

The temperature was dropping fast and Caitlin agreed to stay with Doc until morning. The two huddled together and wrapped themselves in the blankets to stay warm and to try and get some rest. Doc drifted off quickly but Caitlin found herself unable to sleep. She fought the urge to get up and leave by telling herself that Doc needed her there.

A couple of hours later, Caitlin looked at her watch. "Daylight will be in about two hours," she thought. "It can't hurt to get an earlier start than planned."

She got up and covered Doc up completely with the blanket. She made sure he had water and other necessities close at hand. Then, she grabbed a canister of water and left.

"Sorry, Doc," she said to herself. "I just can't sit around here and do nothing any longer."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hawke and Dom continued their search well into the night. They started in the quadrant that the distress call came from and worked their way outwards from it. Still, nothing showed on the thermal scanners except some small wildlife.

"String, we need a break and we need to refuel," said Dom. "Let's take a couple of hours and get some rest."

Hawke was visibly upset. He knew Dom was right but it was hard to stop searching. He wanted so badly to find them. "Alright," he said finally. "I can barely keep my eyes open but I really hate to stop."

"I know, String," said Dom. "Me too."

"We'll set down at Doc's," replied Hawke. "It'll be daylight in about two hours. We'll start back then."

String lay on the couch and closed his eyes. Exhausted, he fell asleep quickly. He dreamed of Caitlin and the time they had been spending together, him holding her in his arms all night. Three hours later, the ring of Doc's phone startled him. He sat up on the couch and answered it. He was informed that the rescue crew may have found some debris from Doc's helicopter. Hawke quickly awakened Dom and they headed back out to rejoin the search.

"Dom, I thought we covered this area several times already?" asked String.

"We have but I kept getting some odd readings on the thermal. It looks like it's in a small valley with rock and tree overhang. I couldn't get a heat source so I just ignored it earlier. But, if the helicopter is there, we need to know. I have a couple of adjustments I can make that just might work and give us a better idea of what's down there."

String tried not to panic. "You mean you think it's there and they're both dead?" he asked. "I can't believe that Dom. I'm not going to believe that."

"Now String, I didn't say that," replied Dom. "I just said that I didn't get any heat source. It could be deflecting from the rock overhang. That's why I'm making the adjustments. Just relax. Go back over that area. I should be able to get better reading this time."

Hawke did as instructed. Moments later Dom yelled from behind. "That's it! It's the helicopter String. It's down there."

"Are you getting any heat sources now?" asked Hawke.

Dom was quiet, not wanting to respond.

"Damn it, Dom! Answer me!" String yelled.

Dom sighed. "Yeah, but I'm only getting a read on one person."

Hawke's heart sank. He began to shake without realizing it. He couldn't lose her. He didn't wish death on Doc but he wanted so badly for Caitlin to be the one alive.

"Dom, I'm going to set us down on a clearing just above the wreckage. Contact the rescue crew and let them know the location," said Hawke. "I'm going down there."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA

Thirty minutes later, Hawke found himself climbing down to the wreckage. It was a slow process due to all of the trees and the format of the rocks where the helicopter had crashed. His heart pounded faster the closer he got to it. He was afraid of what he would find there but he knew he had no choice but to push on and save at least one of his friends.

The closer he got, the quicker he moved as the wreckage of the helicopter came into view. He worked his way to it and his heart sank as he saw Doc lying against the small tree trunk, wrapped in a blanket.

"Doc," yelled Hawke. "Doc, can you hear me?"

Doc slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his friend.

"About time you got here," Doc said trying to smile. "I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last out here alone."

String helped his friend sit up. "What about Caitlin? Is she….."

Doc interrupted him before he could finish. "She left early this morning in search of a clearing so we could get a signal out. I'm not sure what time. She left while I was asleep. I told her to wait until daylight but I guess she got other ideas."

String let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "That sounds like Cait," he said. "Any idea which way she might have gone?"

"My guess would be east, following the sunrise," he replied. "I'm not a hundred percent sure though."

Hawke radioed Dom to let him know that he found Doc and that he was injured. He explained that the rescue crew would need to come and get him out of there.

"I'm going to look for Caitlin on foot," said Hawke. "Obviously she's in an area that isn't accessible by air or we'd have seen her by now."

"Okay, but be careful," said Dom. "Keep me posted of your whereabouts. I don't want to have to send a rescue crew in for you too."

String made sure that Doc was comfortable and had water before he headed out in search of Caitlin. He was concerned about Doc's injuries and inquired about Caitlin's.

"Doc, was Caitlin hurt?" he asked.

"I'm not totally sure," he replied. "She said she was okay but I think she's pretty bruised up. I tried to touch her shoulder last night and I could tell it hurt her. If there were any other injuries, she was hiding them."

"Thanks, Doc," replied Hawke. "You take it easy. The rescue crew is on the way. Once I find Caitlin, we'll meet you back at your place."

Doc knew String was being overly positive but he didn't want to damper his spirits. "Okay, see you then. Be careful," said Doc.

Hawke headed out in the direction that he hoped Caitlin had gone. "You have to be okay Cait," he thought. "I'm not going to lose you now."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Dom, I need you back in the air," said String. "She couldn't have gotten too far. Maybe with the issues you had with the thermal scanner, we missed her somehow."

Hawke continued in the direction he had hoped Caitlin would have gone. He tried not to panic. In his heart, he felt that she was still out there, alive. Either way, he wasn't going to give up until he found her.

Dom took Airwolf back up. He located the signal from Hawke's hand held radio and pinpointed his location in order to keep tabs on him. Then, he scanned the area outwards from his location.

"Nothing yet String," he said. "But, I did just get a message that the rescue crew has gotten to Doc and they're moving him out now."

"Thanks, Dom," replied String. "Keep looking. If you see anything, let me know what direction to go. I think I'm going to head south. The trail to the east doesn't look passable."

Five hours went by quickly and Hawke was getting tired. He kept in constant radio contact with Dom but the longer he searched, the more hopeless it began to feel to him.

"Dom, I need to take a break," he said. "If you want to set down for awhile go ahead. I'll start back up in about thirty minutes."

"Will do," replied Dom. "String, if you want to stop, I'll understand."

"I can't Dom," he said. "I'll search all day and all night if I have to."

Hawke sat down on a large fallen tree trunk. He buried his face in his hands. He was exhausted from climbing and hiking the rough terrain and emotionally drained. His mind drifted to what Doc said about Caitlin being possibly hurt. "He touched her shoulder," he thought. "Why would he do that? Was he trying to comfort her? That should have been me. I should have been with her, not him."

Hawke tried to make sense of his own jealousy. He trusted Caitlin but an insecurity that he never realized he had made him want her to stay as far away from Doc as possible. He couldn't recall ever feeling this way before. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he thought. "I just need to find her."

Hawke picked back up on his search a half hour later. Dom radioed him and asked if he wanted to continue. "String, we got a report that a pretty bad thunder storm is headed this way. I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to continue today."

"I'm not going to stop until I have no other choice," said Hawke. "How about doing another scan?"

Hawke continued hiking down and along the side of the mountain when the storm seemed to creep up on him. The rain was light at first but became more intense over time. Dom continued to fly over the area. Suddenly, a quick blurb on the scanner caught his eye.

"String!" he nearly yelled. "I picked up something or maybe someone just about fifty feet from you."

Hawke quickly answered, "Which direction?"

"It's just southwest of your current location," Dom replied. "I checked and the rescue crew is nowhere in sight so this just might be her."

The rainfall quickened and the lightning got more intense. Dom radioed back that he was going to have to put Airwolf down until the storm passed unless he climbed above it. They agreed he should set her down for the time being.

Hawke worked quickly to get to the area that Dom found the heat source. The ground became slick and he lost his footing several times. Picking himself up, he continued on.

"Caitlin!" he called out to her. "Caitlin? Where are you?"

There was no answer. The rain began to fall even harder. The terrain was rougher in this area. Hawke began to look for some sort of shelter. He knew Caitlin would find some way to get out of the rain.

"Caitlin!" he yelled again. "Caitlin!" There was still no answer. All he heard was the loud cracking of the lightning and the pounding of the rain on the ground. Suddenly, he lost his footing and began sliding down a small slope. The momentum caused him to tumble and lose his radio. He came to a quick stop when he hit a large boulder. At that moment, everything in Hawke's world went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Hawke drifted in and out of consciousness. He thought he heard a faint voice but he couldn't bring himself out of the fog that he found himself in. Someone forced him to his feet and made him walk but he wasn't sure if it were all a dream. He felt his clothes being removed and the warmth of a fire before falling back unconscious.

When he finally woke about an hour later, Hawke could hear the storm raging outside. He was safe, indoors, lying on the floor by a small fire in an old fireplace. He blinked his eyes to clear them. The room came slowly into view. It appeared to be an old vacation cabin. He wondered how in the world he got inside. Suddenly, String realized his head was resting on someone's lap and he couldn't help from shivering.

He felt her warm, soft hands on his bare shoulders. His voice was low and hoarse as he called out to her, "Caitlin?" he said as he looked up into her anxious face. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Shhhh," she replied. "You need to rest. You hit your head pretty hard." She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, then stroked his hair.

"I'm not quite sure where we are but this place seems to be deserted," she said. "I was thankful to be able to get us out of the storm. It's getting pretty bad out there."

Hawke wanted to respond to her but his eyelids felt so heavy. Unable to keep them open, he drifted back off to sleep.

When he woke up the next time, he found Caitlin snuggled up to him, sharing a small blanket. He realized that she must have found one set of sweat clothes because he was wearing the pants and she had on the oversized sweatshirt. Their wet clothes were hanging on chairs near the fireplace.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. She was breathing lightly so he was careful not to wake her. He closed his eyes tightly trying to ward off the pounding he felt in his head. He wondered how long he'd been out. The rain continued to pelt the roof of the cabin and he could hear the wind whipping the trees around as some of the branches hit the side of the structure. He decided to focus on Caitlin in order to get his mind off of his headache. He was relieved at how peaceful she looked. He was thankful that she was there, alive and in his arms. Once again, he closed his eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

Hawke wasn't sure how long it had been since he woke up the last time but he was alarmed when he opened his eyes and Caitlin wasn't beside him. He quickly sat up and noticed that her clothes were no longer hanging with his by the fire and the sweatshirt she had worn was lying in a heap on the floor.

"Caitlin!" he yelled. "Caitlin, where are you?"

Trying desperately not to panic, he got up and ran to the door of the cabin. The rain had stopped and the stars were beginning to peak through the clouds in the sky. Hawke felt dizzy. He held onto the door frame to keep from falling.

"Caitlin!" he called out again. "Caitlin!"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glare of a flashlight coming towards him. "Hawke, I'm right here," she replied. "What are you doing up?"

Caitlin ran up to String and helped him back into the cabin. She eased him back onto the floor in front of the fireplace and once again allowed him to use her lap as a pillow.

His heart was pounding fast. "Where did you go?" he asked.

"Take it easy Hawke," she said as she gently stroked his hair. I'm pretty sure you have a concussion. You need to rest."

"I thought….I thought you were gone," String replied.

"The rain stopped and I found that flashlight. I went out to see if I could find your radio," she said. "I think I know where it's at but I'll have to wait until I can see better to get to it."

Hawke was beginning to feel better and he asked Caitlin to help him sit back up. Once up, he pulled her close and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Don't worry about the radio," he told her. "Dom knows the location. I was in contact with him shortly before I fell. He had to set down because of the storm. Now that the storm's over, I'm sure help will be on its way by daylight."

Caitlin wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. "I was never so happy yet so upset to see someone in my whole life," she said. "I heard you calling me and when I turned to respond, I saw you fall. You came to my rescue again huh?"

String laughed. "I think this time you rescued me."

Caitlin smiled. "Yeah, you're right about that. You have no idea how hard it was to get you in here. I couldn't use the fireman's carry because of my bad shoulder. Somehow I managed to get you to walk part of way and I dragged you the rest."

Caitlin noticed the look on String's face turned quickly to one of concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Doc mentioned you hurt your shoulder."

"Doc!" said Caitlin, changing the subject. "How is he?"

"He's fine," String replied. "The rescue team had already gotten to him before the storm."

Hawke wasn't going to let her avoid the subject. He pulled her shirt up to inspect the injury. Caitlin's right shoulder was black and blue with deep bruising. He winced at the sight.

"It looks worse than it really is," she replied. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I think your head took more of a beating than my shoulder."

String sighed. "I think we need to get some rest. I'm sure Dom will be here by morning. Is there a bed in this place?" he asked.

"Just a mattress on the floor in the other room," she replied.

"Okay, how about we move it in here by the fire. It has to be more comfortable than the floor," said Hawke.

The two made a bed with the mattress and stoked the fire to warm the room up. They settled down to try and get some rest. Hawke couldn't help but hold Caitlin tight as they lay down to sleep. For awhile the previous night, he thought he may never get to hold her again. Now, he never wanted to let go.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Light streamed through the small cabin as the sun came up the next morning. Hawke shifted on the mattress to try and get comfortable. His head still hurt but not as badly as it did the night before. He was quiet as he watched Caitlin sleep. He could hear the birds chirping outside and then a familiar sound came closer to the cabin before it went away. "Airwolf?" he thought. "Dom must be close by."

String tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness overcame him. "I just need a little more rest," he thought as he drifted back to sleep.

Hawke didn't know how long he had been asleep when the door of the cabin was opened and a worried Dom stood before them. "What the hell in going on here?" he asked jokingly. "I'm worried sick about you two and here you are playing house."

Caitlin sat up, blinked and then jumped to her feet and into his arms. "Dom!" she said. "I'm so happy to see you."

Dom smiled. "Not as happy as I am," he replied. "Are you two alright?"

"A little tired and a little beat up," said Caitlin. "Hawke slipped and hit his head. I think he might have a concussion."

"Ah, nothing can hurt that hard head of his," Dom smirked.

Hawke sat up and glared at his friend. "Very funny," he replied. "Can we get out of here now?"

Caitlin helped String stand and the two of them followed Dom outside. "You have no idea how happy I was to spot you two on the scanner this morning," he said. "Luckily, whoever owns this place flies in. I was able to land just fifty feet from here, just past the trees."

The three followed the trail to the clearing where Dom had set down in Airwolf. Caitlin smiled as Airwolf came into view. "I can't wait to get back to Doc's and get a shower and clean clothes," she said.

"I know what you mean," replied String.

"Uh, that'll have to wait," said Dom. "I've been ordered to take you both in to the hospital to get checked out."

"By who?" Hawke asked. "I'm not going to any hospital."

"By the Sheriff," replied Dom.

"He can't do that," said Caitlin.

"Look, these people have been searching day and night for you," said Dom. "They've asked that you be checked out just in case and by God you are going to the hospital if you like it or not."

Hawke was going to continue his resistance but it dawned on him that he wanted Caitlin taken care of and he knew she wouldn't go if he didn't. He also knew that Dom wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Fine," said Hawke. "My head hurts too much to argue anyway."

Dom flew the two of them to the local hospital where they were awaiting their arrival. Doc was being released. He hobbled down the corridor with a cast and crutches. He was anxious to see his friends again.

Hawke and Caitlin were both admitted for observation. They were allowed to shower and given a change of clothes. Hawke didn't like not being able to be with Caitlin for another night, but he was relieved to hear that she was going to be fine. The doctor's found that she was anemic but her injuries were superficial. "She was right," he thought. "They looked worse than they were."

The doctors had given him something for his headache and he tried to lay back and rest. "Hey buddy!" said Doc as he entered Hawke's hospital room. "You look pretty good for someone who fell down the side of a mountain."

String smiled. "Well, it wasn't that far of a fall," he replied. "You're the one who crashed landed into the side of that mountain."

"Yeah, well, I guess I got lucky," said Doc. "We both did."

Doc was quiet for a few moments. Hawke knew he had something on his mind so he waited until Doc was ready to talk.

"Look Hawke," he started. "I'm sorry if my inviting Caitlin out here caused you two any problems. I hope you know that you both are good friends to me and I would never want to do anything to get in the way of your relationship."

String gave him a wry smile. "I know," he replied. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's my issue, not yours. Don't worry about it."

Doc sighed. "Well, I'm going to go and see how she's doing before I get out of here. I'm hoping she'll still be up for singing this weekend at the opening."

"I don't think anyone can stop her," replied Hawke. "She's really looking forward to it."

Doc went to visit Caitlin before heading home and Dom came in to see Hawke. String was trying to rest but he still had a slight headache.

"How ya doing kid?" asked Dom. "You still look a little green."

"Oh, it's definitely a concussion," replied String. "I've had headaches before but this one just won't quit."

"Well, the doctor said you'll be fine," he replied. "You just need to rest. He said the two of you should be released by tomorrow afternoon. Is there anything you need in the meantime?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Yeah, there is. I need you to do me a favor but you'll have to keep it a secret."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Caitlin lay resting in her hospital bed. She felt so much better after having a warm shower and clean clothes. Her mind drifted off to the events of the past few days. Hawke hadn't mentioned anything about what happened the evening before and morning of the crash. She still didn't know why he went off on his own that morning or why he chose to sleep out on Doc's couch. She wanted to talk to him about it but she didn't want to argue with him.

Bored, she began flipping through the channels on the television that was on the wall across from her bed. She eventually came across a news report of their crash. It mentioned the rescue and the opening of Doc's tavern. "Well, what do ya know," she thought. "Doc should be happy that he at least got some free publicity although it did cost him a helicopter."

A few moments later, the door to her room opened and Hawke wheeled himself in. Caitlin almost laughed. "I can't believe you're actually in a wheelchair," she said.

Hawke smiled. "Well, they wouldn't let me out of my room if I didn't promise to stay in this thing," he replied. "Those nurses here are like drill sergeants. It's worth it to get to see you though."

"Aww, thanks," she replied. "I'm happy to see you too."

"Can I join you?" he asked motioning to the bed.

"Sure, why not," she replied. "I think this bed is big enough for the two of us."

Hawke slowly got out of his wheelchair and climbed into the bed beside Caitlin. He put one arm around her and pulled her close to him. He loved how calm and relaxed he felt when she was with him.

"Look," he said. "I really want to talk about what happened the other day and why I acted the way I did."

"Sure," she said quietly, not knowing what to expect.

String took a deep breath before continuing. "You know I'm not usually the jealous type so this kind of took me by surprise," he said. "I needed that night alone at Doc's to clear my mind and figure out what was going on with me. That's also why I took that walk the following morning."

"Makes sense," she replied. "I can understand that."

String continued. "We jumped into this relationship kind of quick and we never really talked about what we both expect from it."

"Quick?" she asked. "How is over two years quick?"

Hawke laughed. "No, I meant, once we decided to be together. We just jumped in. I never asked you if you wanted to date exclusively."

Caitlin turned and gave Hawke a confused look. "String, I know I've dated a lot of men but when have you known me to date more than one at a time?" she asked. "Wait, don't answer that. Okay, there was once but I wasn't serious with either of them."

"Cait, I'm just saying that we never discussed it," he replied. "I wasn't sure what you wanted."

"Stringfellow Hawke," she said. "If you really think that I want to date other men you are out of your mind."

She looked at him for a moment and then continued. "Wait, do you want to date other women?"

Hawke leaned over and kissed her passionately before responding. "No, absolutely not," he replied. "You're the only one I want."

"Then are we okay now?" she asked.

"Well, sort of," he replied. "There's one more thing I need for you to do to seal the deal."

Caitlin laughed. "Uh, what exactly is it that I have to do?"

String's face turned serious as he pulled a box out of his robe. "Wear this," he replied.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked.

"Open it up and see," he replied.

Caitlin opened the little black box to reveal a beautiful double heart pendent necklace. The two hearts were intertwined and there was a diamond in each.

"I love it!" she squealed. "When did you get this?"

"I bought it before I came up here. I was going to give it to you at Doc's opening after you sang. I made Dom go and get it out of my suitcase at Doc's," he said.

Hawke helped her put it on. He could see it in her face that it made her happy.

"Caitlin, I know you're an independent person. It's what I've always loved about you. I know you have your own friends and sometimes you'll go off and do your own thing. But, I hope that wherever you are, this necklace will always remind you of me and how much I love you."

"I love you too," replied Caitlin. "I always will."


End file.
